(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to tools for planning surgery and or treatment. More specifically, the subject matter relates to such tools applied to the context of human joints.
(b) Related Prior Art
There exists a host of 3D knee biomechanical data which are precisely and repeatedly acquired by data acquisition system such as the KneeKG™ pre- and post-treatment.
Systems known in the arts dealing with surgery planning are based mostly on information obtained by reviewing medical imagery in static conditions and 3D simulation based on the static information. Systems known in the art may be radiography, magnetic resonance, CT Scans, KT-1000, specified clinical tests (i.e. pivot shift test and Lachman test) and the like. Current methods also involve the use of radiological examinations (such as X-rays, MRI, and CT-Scans). Such exams however remain limited in terms of their capacity to evaluate various functional aspects of the knee joint, and typically cannot be performed while the knee is moving (i.e. they are static in nature).
Other existing methods used for knee joint treatment planning for knee pathologies typically involve static imaging combined with manual testing (ligament laxity). Since these tests rely on manual testing and patient compliance, they are tainted by a certain amount of subjectivity.
Moreover, some existing methods permit quantification of anteroposterior movement of the tibia with respect to the femur (such as the KT-1000) in a knee joint treatment planning for knee pathologies. These methods however do not permit precise and reliable evaluation of the knee joint for a knee joint treatment planning for knee pathologies as they are typically limited to performing a static evaluation of a translation movement. Such methods are typically not suitable for performing an evaluation while a movement is being performed by the knee joint.
However, it is more and more recognized that the treatment must take into account the patient's mechanical articulation under dynamic and weight bearing conditions. A problem that therefore exists is the integration of these two types of information for various patients.
To this day, this problem is not yet resolved. Doctors do not integrate weight bearing 3D biomechanical information in the surgery treatment planning and when taking charge of a patient (for lack of tools). They only use 2D information and/or static information and make adjustments during surgery.
Major deficiencies are that many adjustments are required during the surgery. Doctors avoid this problem by applying generic techniques which are not optimal for all patients.
There is therefore a need for a method and for a system for knee joint treatment plan and personalized surgery planning and simulation using patient specific weight bearing kinematics with fusion of 3D imaging.